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St. Louis is famous for grown-up attractions--think riverboat casinos and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. But this Midwestern city also puts out the welcome mat for children with a variety of hands-on activities. Whether they're touring museums or visiting animal habitats, kids enjoy a mixture of education and entertainment in St. Louis.

The Magic House/St. Louis Children's Museum

The Magic House, also called the St. Louis Children's Museum, has 50,000 square feet of interactive activities. In the Children's Village, kids can star in a newscast, build a firehouse and stock grocery-store shelves; in the Expericenter, they do experiments in a science lab, use tools in a workshop and get creative in an art studio. Very young guests enjoy the exhibit For Baby and Me, where they play on a boat and in a house. In other areas, older kids can experiment with water and air, and test their strength and endurance. The museum also offers events such as fun runs and fairy-tale teas. No one has to go hungry at The Magic House--it has a cafe that serves sandwiches, salads and sweets. If you want to stay near the museum, you'll find a Holiday Inn, a Hampton Inn and a Best Western within about a mile.

The Magic House/St. Louis Children's Museum

516 S. Kirkwood Road

St. Louis, MO 63122

314-822-8900

magichouse.org

Saint Louis Science Center

The Saint Louis Science Center is packed with engaging things for kids to do--and parents often become absorbed, too. You'll find a planetarium for star gazing, an IMAX theater showing art and science movies on a huge screen and hundreds of hands-on exhibits. In Cyberville, youngsters play a laser harp, program their own robots and create Web pages; in Earth & Ecology, they feel earthquakes and work with real fossils. Kids ages 3 to 7 have their own scientific activities that deal with magnets and water. Within a half mile of the center, you'll find several restaurants serving kid-friendly fare such as sandwiches, pizza and pasta. For lodging within about a mile, look for a Drury Inn, a Red Roof Inn and the Parkway Hotel.

Saint Louis Science Center

5050 Oakland Ave.

Saint Louis, MO 63110

800-456-7572

slsc.org

Saint Louis Zoo

Plan to spend some serious time at the Saint Louis Zoo--you can't appreciate more than 20,000 animals in an hour or two. The zoo is divided into zones, including the River's Edge and The Wild, which emphasizes animal adaptation in many parts of the world. Some of the most interesting exhibits feature mixed species such as banteng (wild cattle) and Reeve's muntjac (Asian deer). The zoo also offers a petting area, daily shows where kids can see feedings and a 3-D movie that depicts life in a wildlife conservatory. When it's time to eat, you can head to cafes, grills and an ice cream parlor on the zoo grounds. There are several hotels within about 2 miles of the zoo, including a Ritz-Carlton, Drury Inn and Holiday Inn.

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About the Author

Barbara Dunlap is a freelance writer in Oregon. She was a garden editor at "The San Francisco Chronicle" and she currently specializes in travel and active lifestyle topics like golf and fitness. She received a master's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has been a Knight Foundation Fellow.

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